


The One Where Everything Was Fine (Until It Wasn't)

by Graceless_Grace



Category: Be More Chill - Iconis/Tracz
Genre: Fever, M/M, Passing Out, Sickfic, collapse, cue michael coming in to save his stupid boyfriend, jeremy forgets to take care of himself
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-24
Updated: 2017-12-24
Packaged: 2019-02-19 11:41:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,261
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13122999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Graceless_Grace/pseuds/Graceless_Grace
Summary: To Michael, Jeremy Heere is a lot of things; he's charismatic, charming, wonderful, romantic, awkward, anxious at times, and the most beautiful boy he's ever met. He is also, however, quite frequently stupid, especially when it comes to himself. Jeremy forgets to take care of himself, again, and Michael Mell, his lone protector, rescues him when he can't rescue himself.





	The One Where Everything Was Fine (Until It Wasn't)

He's an enigma most days.

Michael has tried his hardest to figure him out, and despite knowing that awkward, anxious boy for years, Michael has never been able to completely unravel him. Jeremy has beautiful eyes, and eyes are the window to the soul, but Michael can never get to the root of Jeremy's feelings through his eyes. He can never get to the root of his heartaches, nor the depths of his sorrows, nor his happiest times through just those eyes. Because it's always so much more than that. 

When he's happy, Jeremy's eyes sparkle like diamonds, radiant and glowing evermore in the sun. His smile stretches across two perfect, rose-tinted cheeks, and dimples creep up between a few pale colored freckles, and he can never seem to sit still. Likewise when he's anxious, his eyes take on a different shade, and he turns so pale that his freckles disappear. Doubt creeps through each muscle in his body, sending constant shivers down his spine. When it gets really bad, he can't stop moving around, even once his joints start to creak and create a pain Michael is sure he could never imagine. 

It becomes a shock to Michael, Michael who has spent his entire life, so it seems, taking the time to look at Jeremy, gaze into his eyes, take in every aspect of his being, when Jeremy comes in to school Wednesday morning with an expression he's never seen before.

Jeremy is wearing blue jeans and thick hoodie, one he took from Michael's when he thought he wasn't looking. Under his layers and layers of clothes, Jeremy was shaking a little, the way he did when he was anxious, but his face wasn't the same kind of pale. He was more white, with sunken eyes and cheeks the color of candy apples. Everything about him looked either too bright or too dark, out of place no matter where Michael looked. 

He didn't stop to kiss Michael good morning, he just waved, giving the smallest smile Michael had ever seen from him, and dashed into math class.

* * *

Michael broaches the subject at lunch. There have been 3 classes since Michael first saw him, and somehow he looks worse than before. 

"Hey, is something wrong, babe?" Michael asks, sitting beside Jeremy with a can of soda in his hand. He wouldn't dare leave for 7-11 at a time like this; he didn't feel the least bit comfortable leaving him alone.

"Hmm?" comes a sleepy reply. 

Michael sighs. "You look pretty out of it, Jer. I'm, I dunno, worried."

"I'm okay," Jeremy says softly. Somehow Michael doesn't believe him.

"Are you sure? Because you're somehow red and white at the same time. With my blue hoodie on, you look like the American flag!" 

Jeremy grunts in response, pushing an unopened carton of chocolate milk around the lunch table. It's then when Rich slides down on Jeremy's other side, pushing he and Michael closer together. They're hands touch on accident, and Michael feels a sudden heat come over his fingertips. By the time he realizes why, there's very little time to get Jeremy home. Lunch only has five minutes left, and Jeremy, now that Michael is really, really looking, Jeremy looks  _awful_. Michael is almost ashamed of not noticing earlier. 

"...and then Jakey tells me not to go that far forward, but it's like, how can I not?!" Jake is telling Jeremy a story, a loud story, and one that apparently has a good ending guessing by the huge grin plastered on his face.  "It's not like a little fever could take me down anyway!" 

Michael perks up at that. 

"What did you just say?" He asks, hand slamming down on the table. 

"Michael," Jeremy groans softly, resting his head in his hands. "Please don't be so loud."

"Sorry," he says, still louder than he needs to be. Michael couldn't care less. If Rich had a fever, then Jeremy could have caught something, which would explain why he's so... _different_ today. "Rich, what did you just say about a fever?"

He smiles widely again, a few stubborn burn scars blending in with a pale face of orange freckles as the corners of his mouth creep up towards his cheeks. "We were talking about last weekend; Jake and I had this massively cool date planned and only got through half before he made me go home cause I had a little fever. Normally I'd be upset but he just cares so much! Plus, I kinda get it. That bug threw me for a loop - I can't imagine what could have happened if I had stayed out."

Now Michael is getting slightly panicked. There's too much pressure building up between individual thoughts in Michael's head. He looks back at Jeremy, who's risen from his space between Michael and Rich. He's swaying on his feet, eyes fluttering closed. 

"Oh shit..." Michael breathes. This can't be happening. He knows what will happen next, he's dealt with it before. He'll freeze up, he won't be of any help, he won't b able to make sure Jeremy's okay - but, of course, this is before he sees Jeremy's eyes finally close, and his knees begin to buckle. 

Maybe it's the details in the scene before him that triggers the rush of adrenaline. Michael has spent his whole life looking at Jeremy, and this scene is no exception. He sees the heat rising to his cheeks in a fiery red blush; the darkness under his eyes, the paleness of his skill against the harsh cafeteria lighting. 

It could be the sight of Jeremy's tall, lanky body crumpling too the ground, the same strong arms that have held Michael so close amidst so many sleepless nights suddenly so limp and lifeless. 

Or maybe it's the lack of reaction, when Michael rushes to his side, takes a boiling hand in his own, and calls out: "Jeremy! Oh my god, Jeremy, can you hear me?!"

* * *

There isn't an ambulance or a hospital trip or a call to 911, which takes 95% of the initial stress off Michael's shoulders. Jeremy's slightly dehydrated in addition to his 102°F fever, which isn't high enough to force a hospital visit. Michael is more than relieved. Doctorates mean check-ups and scans and finding out about one stupid mechanical mistake the love of his life made when the world did nothing to help him at his lowest point. Mr. Heere calls from across the country (Jeremy getting closer to his dad has inspired him to try to get it back together as much as he can, which means taking trips for work again and going after a refresher regarding his degree), giving Michael permission to load Jeremy into his beat up old car and take him home while he looks for cheap flights home. 

Despite all the commotion surrounding him, Jeremy doesn't wake up until dinner, when Michael comes in with warm chicken broth and tiny oyster crackers. Even then Michael takes notice of the glassy quality his eyes have taken on, and checks his fever before he eats. 

It's higher, a whole degree, god damn it all. Michael knows he can get through this, it's just hard. There's no nervous chatter beside him, no shaky hand taking his own, no warm breath against his neck. He wonders how he could miss something so small so much after only a few hours, and comes to a conclusion:

Jeremy Heere is an enigma, no matter what anyone does or says. And quite frankly, Michael wouldn't have it any other way. 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> I take requests! Hit me up either on my blog (graceless-fever) or here. ♡  
> Please don't forget to comment if you liked it!


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